In recent years, a wireless LAN (local area network) technique using IEEE 802. 11b/11g/11n has been applied to various apparatuses. The use of this wireless LAN technique makes it possible to interconnect various apparatuses via a wireless line. When the various apparatuses are interconnected via the wireless line, a place where each of the apparatus is to be located can be selected as desired, and cables or the like can be dispensed with differently from a wired network, which saves troublesome work of the user. In view of the advantages of the wireless LAN, in each of an increasing number of homes, a wireless LAN environment tends to be constructed by arranging wireless LAN access points.
For a wireless LAN access point, it is possible to set a unique ID called SSID (service set identifier) for identifying the access point and security for protecting wireless communication. When access point search is performed by an apparatus, such as a printer, which is wireless LAN-compatible, SSIDs, security settings, etc. are displayed in a list as search results e.g. on a display panel provided in the apparatus.
The SSID and the security are required to be set in advance by a user. In general, however, default settings are configured by a manufacturer, and many of users use an apparatus, such as a printer, without changing the default settings. Therefore, when access point search is performed under an environment, e.g. in a condominium, where a lot of access points densely exist, a plurality of access points having the same SSID are sometimes detected. In such a case, the apparatus is required to select an access point desired by the user for connection, out of the found access points.
In view of such a case, there has been proposed a method in which access points that satisfy a specific condition, such as radio field intensity, are registered as candidates for selection in advance, and when a plurality of access points having the same SSID are detected, an access point is selected from the registered candidates.